High-Conductance Control Plate With Nested Orifice Ridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid control valves face challenges in achieving high conductance while maintaining leak-tight shut-off and proportional control, especially in applications requiring high purity and fast acting proportional control, such as semiconductor manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A high-purity fluid control valve design featuring a moveable control plate with flow-through passages, including radial and axial fluid paths, and nested orifice ridges that allow for efficient fluid flow and shut-off, utilizing a control plate with a continuous uninterrupted flat portion to bridge orifice segments and a polymer insert disk with pillars and plugs for enhanced fluid communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a traditional valve design is used, then the structure is simple, but the conductance is limited and internal dead space causes fluid stagnation
Solution Approach 1:
The valve internal volume is segmented into multiple chambers (first intermediate valve chamber portion, second intermediate valve chamber portion) separated by orifice ridge segments. This segmentation allows fluid to flow through multiple defined paths while reducing stagnant dead space, thereby increasing effective conductance without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Nested orifice ridges are positioned within the valve body such that one orifice ridge is contained within the region defined by another orifice ridge. This nested arrangement creates multiple flow paths through the same valve body volume, maximizing conductance while minimizing the overall valve size and structural complexity
2Reliability
If the control plate covers the entire valve chamber, then shut-off is tight, but internal dead space increases causing fluid stagnation
Solution Approach 1:
Flow-through passages are extracted from the control plate body, creating dedicated fluid communication paths that allow fluid to sweep through the valve chamber during operation. This extraction of flow paths from the solid control plate structure eliminates stagnant dead space while the control plate maintains its shut-off function when closed
Solution Approach 2:
The flow-through passages ensure continuous fluid flow through the valve chamber during operation, preventing fluid stagnation. The passages are designed to allow fluid to continuously sweep through the intermediate valve chamber portions, maintaining fluid motion and preventing accumulation of stagnant fluid
3Quantity of substance
If orifice ridges are positioned to maximize conductance, then fluid flow is improved, but closing force required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The orifice ridge is segmented into multiple sections (first orifice ridge segment, second orifice ridge segment) that are positioned at different locations within the valve chamber. This segmentation allows the control plate to close against multiple separate sealing surfaces, distributing the closing force requirement while maintaining high conductance through the nested flow paths
Data Source
AI summary
A high purity control valve for use in high conductance, proportional control applications includes a moveable control plate having a flow-through passage to enhance fluid sweep of the internal valve volume. Nested orifice ridges are used to achieve high conductance with small actuator movement. Enhanced leak tightness can be provided by incorporating into the control plate materials softer than the material comprising the orifice ridge. The control plate comprises a control plate body having a counterbore in fluid communication with a conduit, radial fluid flow paths and axial fluid flow paths. A flat side of the control plate includes a continuous uninterrupted flat portion to shut-off fluid flow in the valve. The radial fluid flow paths provide fluid communication from the counterbore to a circumferential perimeter of the control plate and the axial fluid flow paths provide fluid communication with the fluid conduit through an intermediate valve chamber portion.